925 resultados para Equality of Opportunity


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This paper analyzes whether standard covariance matrix tests work whendimensionality is large, and in particular larger than sample size. Inthe latter case, the singularity of the sample covariance matrix makeslikelihood ratio tests degenerate, but other tests based on quadraticforms of sample covariance matrix eigenvalues remain well-defined. Westudy the consistency property and limiting distribution of these testsas dimensionality and sample size go to infinity together, with theirratio converging to a finite non-zero limit. We find that the existingtest for sphericity is robust against high dimensionality, but not thetest for equality of the covariance matrix to a given matrix. For thelatter test, we develop a new correction to the existing test statisticthat makes it robust against high dimensionality.

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In an experiment we study market outcomes under alternative incentive structures for third-party enforcers. Our transactions resemble an anonymous credit market where lenders can give loans and borrowers can repay them. When borrowers default, judges are free to enforce repayment but are themselves paid differently in each of three treatments. First, paying judges according to lenders votes maximizes surplus and the equality of earnings. In contrast, paying judges according to borrowers votes triggers insufficient enforcement, destroying the market and producing the lowest surplus and the most unequal distribution of earnings. Lastly, judges paid the average earnings of borrowers and lenders achieve results close to those based on lender voting. We employ a steps-of-reasoning argument to interpret the performances of different institutions. When voting and enforcement rights are allocated to different classes of actors, the difficulty of their task changes, and arguably as a consequence they focus on high or low surplus equilibria.

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A tese que ora findamos visa a obtenção do grau de doutora em Educação, na Especialidade de Desenvolvimento Curricular, pelo Departamento do Currículo e Tecnologia Educativa, do Instituto de Educação e Psicologia, da Universidade do Minho. Intitulado o dualismo cultural: os luso-caboverdianos entre a escola, a família e a comunidade, o presente estudo centra-se numa abordagem crítica da escolaridade básica obrigatória, no qual procurámos compreender e explicar as condições de realização deste nível de ensino pelos jovens de ascendência caboverdiana, nascidos em Portugal, na qualidade de sujeitos biculturais em consequência da simbiose das culturas caboverdeana e portuguesa. Isto para concluirmos se na oferta do serviço educativo e de formação estão acautelados os seus direitos de cidadania e de participação na sociedade em que se encontram inseridos e a que pertencem de facto. Nesta investigação foi fundamental analisar a oferta de educação básica, entender as representações de alunos lusocaboverdeanos acerca da sua identidade cultural e das suas percepções sobre a formação académica que recebem; reconhecer representações e percepções de professores acerca da realidade educativa portuguesa, o enquadramento da multiculturalidade e a docência em turmas com alunos luso-caboverdianos, e compreender as percepções de pais e encarregados da educação caboverdeanos acerca da realidade educativa portuguesa e do enquadramento dos seus filhos na escola, para perceber se o insucesso educativo dos luso-caboverdeanos está relacionado com a condição de aluno “culturalmente diferente” ou se tem a sua origem na escola e no currículo da escolaridade obrigatória e, assim, contribuir com subsídios teóricos e práticos para o aprofundamento da problemática da multiculturalidade em Portugal, com vista à sua potenciação e normalização no sistema educativo. Estando perante uma sociedade de formação multicultural reafirmada com a colonização, justifica-se, em Portugal, a preocupação com a temática da diversidade cultural nas políticas educativas, resultante da consciencialização da manifestação da diversidade cultural no contexto escolar, podendo a sua omissão constituir num factor de insucesso educativo. Por isso, integramos nesta investigação matérias como: uma conceptualização do multiculturalismo com vista a questionar e clarificar os conceitos e as perspectivas inerentes a este fenómeno. Uma tentativa de desocultar para perceber o conteúdo simbólico e os porquês das políticas de integração das minorias etnicoculturais que, ao que parece, nos tempos que correm, por quase toda a parte, se converteram numa prioridade absoluta e inadiável. Estabelecemos uma ponte entre a génese do campo curricular e a construção de um currículo multi e/ou intercultural, merecendo devida atenção as tendências que dominam as discussões e a produção científica actuais nestes domínios. Problematizámos o currículo e identidade na escolaridade obrigatória nas dimensões inserção sociocultural, promoção da igualdade de sucesso educativo e inclusão dos sujeitos e o currículo e a educação para o exercício da cidadania numa escola que se quer plural. Neste último debatemos o conteúdo político da educação para a cidadania, as políticas educativas e curriculares e a escolaridade básica obrigatória como uma proposta que continua em aberto, por isso, passível de adequação às necessidades de uma educação da e para a diversidade. Procurámos fazer uma análise das políticas de integração socioeducativa da diversidade cultural, com destaque para o quadro legal que regula a integração das minorias étnicas na escola básica portuguesa, com particular incidência sobre as crianças pertencentes à comunidade caboverdeana nascidas em território português, procurando concluir acerca da existência, ou não, de posições e opções de políticas educativas concretas face à necessidade de dar prosseguimento à educação multicultural neste contexto. Tratou-se de uma investigação qualitativa holística, que permitiu desenvolver compreensões profundas dos fenómenos a partir das evidências reunidas, do estudo das representações dos sujeitos sobre quem recaem os resultados da investigação, mas também de sujeitos que, assim como o meio envolvente, estabelecem uma relação indirecta com os mesmos resultados. Circunscrito a um estudo de caso, a reflexão e a partilha de conhecimento e informações possibilitou desenvolver uma compreensão sobre a problemática estudada. Dos resultados obtidos, destacámos aqui que, em Portugal, apesar da absorvência da diversidade cultural nas política educativa, não se concretizou, ainda, uma proposta que, na prática, crie a reciprocidade entre as questões etnicoculturais e o sucesso e/ou insucesso educativos das minorias em educação com ganhos decisivos no combate ao insucesso e ao abandono escolar. Continua-se a desenvolver uma educação igualitarista monocultural pela via da homogeneização curricular, assente na noção de que povos e grupos podem estar em condições de igualdade se reunidos numa cultura comum. Aparentemente sob pilares democráticos, esta educação multicultural segue a concepção liberal associando essencialismo, universalismo e igualitarismo, resultando num propósito civilizacional excludente das minorias etnicoculturais. As conclusões chegadas permitem-nos defender a dessacralização do currículo nacional comum e uniforme e a defesa de uma proposta curricular baseada numa cultura científica global e necessária, de acordo com as faixas etárias e níveis de ensino, com campos de integração obrigatória de conteúdos territorializados alicerçados no interculturalismo como estratégia promotora da interacção crítica e solidária entre diferentes sujeitos e grupos culturais, permissiva da construção de identidades próprias e da confissão da diferença cultural, associada ao intraculturalismo como uma via permeabilizadora da educação democrática como garante da cidadania plena a todos os indivíduos, como condição fundamental para o estabelecimento das condições de igualdade e de garantia de sucesso em educação.

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Iowa’s infrastructure is at a crossroads. A stalwart collection of Iowans dared to consider Iowa’s future economy, the way ahead for future generations, and what infrastructure will be required – and what will not be required – for Iowa to excel. The findings are full of opportunity and challenge. The Infrastructure Plan for Iowa’s Future Economy: A Strategic Direction tells the story and points the way to a strong economy and quality of life for our children and our children’s children. This plan is different from most in that the motivation for its development came not from a requirement to comply or achieve a particular milestone, but, rather, from a recognition that infrastructure, in order to ensure a globally-competitive future economy, must transform from that of past generations. It is not news that all infrastructure – from our rich soil to our bridges – is a challenge to maintain. Prior to the natural disasters of 2008 and the national economic crisis, Iowa was tested in its capacity to sustain not only the infrastructure, but to anticipate future needs. It is imperative that wise investments and planning guide Iowa’s infrastructure development. This plan reflects Iowa’s collective assessment of its infrastructure– buildings, energy, natural resources, telecommunications, and transportation – as, literally, interdependent building blocks of our future. Over the months of planning, more than 200 Iowans participated as part of committees, a task force, or in community meetings. The plan is for all of Iowa, reflected in private, nonprofit, and public interests and involvement throughout the process. Iowa’s success depends on all of Iowa, in all sectors and interests, to engage in its implementation. The Infrastructure Plan for Iowa’s Future Economy: A Strategic Direction sets a clear and bold direction for all stakeholders, making it clear all have a responsibility and an opportunity to contribute to Iowa’s success.

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PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Major advances have been made in the delineation of HIV-specific immune response and in the mechanisms of virus escape. The kinetics of the immunological and virological events occurring during primary HIV infection indicate that the establishment of the latent HIV reservoir, the major obstacle to HIV eradication likely occurs during the very early stages of primary infection, that is, the 'eclipse phase', prior to the development of the HIV-specific immune response which has limited efficacy in the control of the early events of infection. Therefore, the window of opportunity to develop effective interventions either to clear HIV during primary infection or to prevent rebound of HIV in patients successfully treated who stop antiretroviral therapy is very narrow. RECENT FINDINGS: Genetic factors most strongly associated with nonprogressive infection are human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I alleles and particularly HLA-B5701. CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses with polyfunctional profile are associated with nonprogressive infection. Broader neutralizing antibodies are detected 3-4 years after infection, generated only in 20% of individuals but show no efficacy in the control of HIV replication. SUMMARY: In the present review, we shall discuss the different components of the HIV-specific immune response elicited by the infection, the kinetics of these responses during primary infection and the changes following transition to the chronic phase of infection, and the functional profile of 'effective' versus 'noneffective' HIV-specific immune responses.

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El treball cooperatiu és una bona eina per a la inclusió a l’aula. La investigació parteix de l’educació inclusiva per afirmar que l’estructura de l’activitat de forma cooperativa afavoreix les relacions entre iguals i millora la participació de tot l’alumnat, tot fomentant la oportunitat d’igualtats. L’estudi té com a objectiu valorar la incorporació del treball cooperatiu en una aula amb infants de cinc anys, en un context rural per així, observar i analitzar els efectes que es produeixen amb aquest. Les dades de la investigació s’han recollir a partir d’una graella d’observació i un diari de camp que han permès afirmar que les tècniques cooperatives milloren la participació equitativa i la interacció simultània i esdevé una eina inclusiva a l’aula.

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Immigrant Pupils in Special Education Schools The study focused on the opinions of immigrant pupils in the 1st–9th grades of basic education in four special education schools of the City of Turku and in need of special support about the following: 1. Their difficulties in going to school in general education before the transfer to a special education school. 2. Their opinions about the transfer process to special education and the changes in their school practice after being transferred to a special education school. 3. Their experiences about their school and coping in special education school. The study strengthened the idea that immigrant pupils need positive special treatment, linguistic support, individual guidance, small teaching groups and operating models that promote well-being on their integration and education path. The central educational idea of inclusive education is based on deconstructing the power structures concerning gender, ethnicity and “race” and approval of differences in the pupils. Shifting the emphasis from the pupil to working on the learning environment has resulted in special education no longer being primarily separate special education tied to a certain place, but directing the teaching more towards individuality. The central dimension of intercultural competence of a teacher working in a multicultural class seems to be the attitudes and approaches to a different pupil; the teacher must be interculturally sensitive when facing children and young people from a foreign culture. Education and teaching affect every sector of the pupil’s well-being. Learning and learning results have a connection with teaching, education and well-being. Every sector is important for the going to school and integration of an immigrant pupil in need of special support. The basis of the study is the equality of opportunities and the humanistic idea of the human being in the Finnish education policy. The immigrant pupils selected for the study represented the following language groups: Arabian, Albanian, Somali, Russian and Vietnamese. In the four special education schools, the number of immigrant pupils belonging to these language groups (2004) totalled 104. A total of 89 pupils i.e. 86% answered the questionnaire, which is sufficient considering the generalisation of the study. Although this is basically a quantitative study, the interviewing method was used in part of the study, because the questionnaires were in Finnish and consequently, it was difficult for some immigrant pupils to understand them. Understanding the questions was also affected by the fact that the age distribution in the study was very wide (7–18). According to the results of the study, the immigrants felt that the biggest drawbacks in general education were their inability to speak Finnish and lack of concentration. The actual process of being transferred to a special education class remained unclear for immigrant pupils, and they could do very little about the transfer themselves. The results show that immigrant pupils coped well in special education school; they felt that their learning ability and concentration improved in the small groups of the special education school. They considered the individual support given in the special education schools to be useful. The lower-grade immigrant pupils had a more positive attitude towards special education school than the upper-grade immigrant pupils. In all the special education schools the immigrant pupils experienced that they were in a good position in the class; girls felt this even a little more strongly than boys. The teacher-pupil-relationship was felt to be good. School bullying being so common was a negative feature experienced by immigrant pupils, who were often targets or bullies themselves. Immigrant pupils believed in their success at school and in the opportunities offered by special education schools. Generally they were of the opinion that pupils are not labelled by special school; however, upper-grade immigrant pupils were more hesitant than lower-grade immigrant pupils. This study aimed at bringing out the immigrant pupils’ own opinions. Teaching immigrant pupils in special education schools has not been very much studied in Finland, which made the topic new and even more challenging.

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Uuden tuotteen lanseeraus on tärkeä liikkeenjohdollinen toimi. Se on tärkeä askel uuden innovatiivisen tuotteen markkinoille saattamisessa ja tähän liittyvässä prosessissa. Uuden tuotteen kehitysprosessin tässä vaiheessa markkinat saavat kokemusta uudesta tuotteesta ensimmäistä kertaa. Korkean teknologian ympäristössä valmistajalla on usein vain pieni ja hetkellinen mahdollisuus tavoittaa markkinansa, sillä yhä globaalimmassa maailmassa seuraajia ja imitoijia ilmaantuu nopeasti. Tämän johdosta markkinaoperaatioiden tulee olla oikeita ensimmäisellä kertaa. Korkean teknologian ympäristö ei tee tästä tehtävästä helppoa, sillä uutta teknologista laitetta ja uutta teknologiaa kohtaa koetaan suurta epävarmuutta, sekä ostajan että valmistajan puolelta. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on selvittää pienelle ja uudelle korkean teknologian valmistajalle sopiva lanseerausprosessi, sekä tämän prosessin eri tasoilla käytettävissä olevat taktiikat ja niiden soveltuvuus esimerkkiyritykselle ja sen tuotteelle. Tutkielmassa perehdytään terveydenhuollon ja korkean teknologian markkinoiden erityispiirteisiin ja näiden vaikutukseen lanseerausprosessiin. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat, että korkean teknologian markkinoijan tulee tuntea potentiaalinen asiakaskuntansa ja markkina-alueensa erittäin hyvin. Tällöin hän kykenee etenemään teknologisen omaksumisen elinkaaren käyrää kilpailijoita joustavammin, koska hän tietää kehen kannattaa kullakin hetkellä panostaa ja millaisia taktiikoita käyttää. Lanseeraustaktiikoiden sopivuus riippuu yrityksen ja sen teknologisen tuotteen ominaisuuksien lisäksi myös markkinoiden tilanteesta ja potentiaalisesta asiakaskunnasta. Tutkimuksessa esitetään neljätasoinen lanseerausprosessi ja esimerkkiyritykselle soveltuvat taktiikat.

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Abstract: What cost is for a decision-maker in a choice setting? Subjectivist and objectivist notions of opportunity cost

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Purpose To show that differences in the extent to which firms engage in unrelated diversification can be attributed to differences in ownership structure. Methodology/approach We draw on longitudinal data and use a panel analysis specification to test our hypotheses. Findings We find that unrelated diversification destroys value; pressure-sensitive Anglo-American owners in a firm’s equity reduce unrelated diversification, whereas pressure-resistant domestic owners increase unrelated diversification; the greater the firm’s free cash flow, the greater the negative effect of pressure-sensitive Anglo-American owners on unrelated diversification. Research limitations/implications We contribute to corporate governance and strategy research by bringing in owners’ institutional origin as a shaper of owner preferences in particular with regards to unrelated diversification. Future research may expand our investigation to more than one home institutional context, and theorize on institutional origin effects beyond the dichotomy between Anglo-American and non-Anglo-American (not oriented toward shareholder value maximization) owners. Practical implications Policy makers, financial analysts, owners, and managers may want to reflect about the implications of ownership structure, as well as promoting or joining corporations with particular ownership configurations. Social implications A shareholder value-destroying strategy, such as unrelated diversification has adverse consequences for society at large, in terms of opportunity costs, that is, resources could be allocated to value-creating activities instead. Promoting an ownership configuration that creates value should contribute to social welfare. Originality/value Owners may not be exclusively driven by shareholder value maximization, but can be influenced by normative beliefs (biases) stemming from the institutional context they originate from.

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Western societies have been faced with the fact that overweight, impaired glucose regulation and elevated blood pressure are already prevalent in pediatric populations. This will inevitably mean an increase in later manifestations of cardio-metabolic diseases. The dilemma has been suggested to stem from fetal life and it is surmised that the early nutritional environment plays an important role in the process called programming. The aim of the present study was to characterize early nutritional determinants associating with cardio-metabolic risk factors in fetuses, infants and children. Further, the study was designated to establish whether dietary counseling initiated in early pregnancy can modify this cascade. Healthy mother-child pairs (n=256) participating in a dietary intervention study were followed from early pregnancy to childhood. The intervention included detailed dietary counseling by a nutritionist targeting saturated fat intake in excess of recommendations and fiber consumption below recommendations. Cardio-metabolic programming was studied by characterizing the offspring’s cardio-metabolic risk factors such as over-activation of the autonomic nervous system, elevated blood pressure and adverse metabolic status (e.g. serum high split proinsulin concentration). Fetal cardiac sympathovagal activation was measured during labor. Postnatally, children’s blood pressure was measured at six-month and four-year follow-up visits. Further, infants’ metabolic status was assessed by means of growth and serum biomarkers (32-33 split proinsulin, leptin and adiponectin) at the age of six months. This study proved that fetal cardiac sympathovagal activity was positively associated with maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index indicating adverse cardio-metabolic programming in the offspring. Further, a reduced risk of high split proinsulin in infancy and lower blood pressure in childhood were found in those offspring whose mothers’ weight gain and amount and type of fats in the diet during pregnancy were as recommended. Of note, maternal dietary counseling from early pregnancy onwards could ameliorate the offspring’s metabolic status by reducing the risk of high split proinsulin concentration, although it had no effect on the other cardio-metabolic markers in the offspring. At postnatal period breastfeeding proved to entail benefits in cardio-metabolic programming. Finally, the recommended dietary protein and total fat content in the child’s diet were important nutritional determinants reducing blood pressure at the age of four years. The intrauterine and immediate postnatal period comprise a window of opportunity for interventions aiming to reduce the risk of cardio-metabolic disorders and brings the prospect of achieving health benefits over one generation.

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A brief account of the present status of Precision Agriculture (PA) in Australia is presented, and areas of opportunity in the grains, sugar and wine industries are identified. In particular, these relate to the use of spatially-distributed experimentation to fine-tune management so as to achieve production efficiencies, reduced risk of environmental impact and enhanced food security, and the management of crop quality through selective harvesting and product streaming. The latter may be an important avenue by which farmers can take a more active role in the off-farm part of agricultural value chains. The important role of grower groups in facilitating PA adoption is also discussed.

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The aim of this dissertation is to develop a theory on intercultural caring to deepen the understanding of caring between nurses and patients who have different cultural backgrounds. The research questions are: 1) What is intercultural caring? 2) How is intercultural caring described and understood? 3) How is intercultural caring described and understood in a maternity care context from the patients’ perspective? 4) What is the substance in a theory on intercultural caring? 5) What is the substance in a theory on intercultural caring in maternity care from the patients’ perspective? The theoretical perspective is based on caritative theory and the caring science-tradition (Eriksson, 2001, 2002) and has a hermeneutic approach. In the first study, 19 texts of Campinha-Bacote, Kim-Godwin, Leininger and Ray are analysed through content analysis. A model for intercultural caring is then created abductively. The second study is a metasynthesis of 40 studies on intercultural caring in maternity care research. The third study is a focused ethnography, in which 17 immigrant mothers are interviewed and observed. The theory on intercultural caring is created through a hermeneutic synthesis of the three studies. A synthesis of the studies with a maternity context results in five patterns of interpretation: the experience of caring is related to power; the family is always present; childbearing and change of culture can give women multiple vulnerabilities; both the mother and the nurse change when they meet; conflicts can cause change. The theory and patterns of interpretation consolidate into a contextual theory on intercultural caring for clinical maternity praxis. In this theory, caring consists of four dimensions: universal, cultural, contextual, and unique caring, which permeate each other. Universal caring is nondependent of time and space. Cultural caring considers the cultural background, the acculturation and the equality of each mother. In the maternity care culture, cultural competence, cultural safety, and acculturation of the nurse are emphasised. Contextual caring considers the specific cultural features of the childbearing mother. In this respect, the nurse is expected to be an expert and to clarify cultural assumptions in maternity care. In unique caring, the mother expects good communication, respect for the family, goodwill and somebody who cares for her and meets her needs, in order for trust to be built. In this respect, the nurse listens to the woman’s narrative, is flexible, open, courageous, and non-judgemental. The nurse shows an understanding for the life situation of the woman, and strives for continuity to preserve the care relationship. It was found that external circumstances affect intercultural caring. Moreover, intercultural caring is expected to decrease misunderstandings and conflicts, alleviate suffering and promote health and life. The theory adds knowledge to the phenomenon of intercultural caring for the nursing and caring sciences, and for the nursing care of patients with other cultural backgrounds than the nurses. The theory can be used in nursing, education, research and administration.

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In this paper, we study several tests for the equality of two unknown distributions. Two are based on empirical distribution functions, three others on nonparametric probability density estimates, and the last ones on differences between sample moments. We suggest controlling the size of such tests (under nonparametric assumptions) by using permutational versions of the tests jointly with the method of Monte Carlo tests properly adjusted to deal with discrete distributions. We also propose a combined test procedure, whose level is again perfectly controlled through the Monte Carlo test technique and has better power properties than the individual tests that are combined. Finally, in a simulation experiment, we show that the technique suggested provides perfect control of test size and that the new tests proposed can yield sizeable power improvements.

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Le 8 mars 1963, un coup d’État en Syrie permet à une secte minoritaire marginalisée au sein du parti Baas, à idéologie radicale et révolutionnaire, de s’emparer des rênes de l’État avec l’appui des militaires et de conserver le pouvoir depuis. Ainsi la Syrie, premier pays arabe à connaître le système pluraliste parlementaire dès 1919, sera soumise à un régime militaire et autoritaire pendant presque un demi siècle. Ce mémoire vise à expliquer comment cette faction, groupusculaire à l’origine, a su profiter des circonstances et des fenêtres d’opportunité politique ouvertes par les comportements de l’élite traditionnelle syrienne, au pouvoir depuis le Mandat français, s’étant trouvée affaiblie, isolée et illégitime aux yeux de la population. Cette fragmentation exprimée par des agitations internes, avait provoqué des décisions contradictoires, des conflits d’intérêts ainsi que des divisions de nature identitaire, générationnelle, sociale, économique, militaire et politique. La Syrie a de ce fait, depuis son indépendance en 1941, été victime du jeu de son élite, un jeu dont ce mémoire est consacré à étudier la dynamique. Cette étude, qui définit le concept de l’élite théoriquement, s’appuie sur l’état des liens entre élites, l’envergure et les modes de leur circulation, pour confirmer qu’une élite fragmentée s’affaibli, perd sa légitimité et mène la société à l’instabilité. Ceci soutien l’hypothèse centrale de l’étude que la fragmentation de l’élite syrienne traditionnelle a ouvert des fenêtres d’opportunité politique devant le parti Baas, minoritaire et radical, qui a su les saisir pour conquérir le pouvoir.